Playoffs!?

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

I think styles make fights. It's all about matchups in the playoffs. I think despite being the 8th seed, Miami matched up well with Milwaukee, New York, and Boston. It's great to see them doing this. I'm rooting for them.

[Mik317]

i think it says more about guys who rely on tough shot making than anything. There is a lot of variance and a bad run can and will tank everything for you. Playoffs is about getting the easy **** more than your opponent does. Jimmy was mid tonight but it didn't matter because dudes were getting easy 3s and Bam was getting free lanes. Our offense is based off of Biid hitting contested mid range jumpers and Harden hitting contested step backs....be it Biid was shook, had no lift, Horford's contests are good, idk...but it is what it is. The Celtics ran into similar issues last year against the Warriors IIRC. We let their role players get the easy **** and then Tatum was able to get rolling...and that was it.

we should still feel bad regardless because we still had a shot and blew it thanks to our stars wetting themselves but there is an explanation beyond just "they didn't want it enough".

[HardenGoat]

I think it come down to leadership. The biggest part of that is a coach you believe in making the right decisions and getting all the players on board and confident in their roles. Doc is a players coach. He overplays vets because he caters to the pecking order the players themselves create. How do you explain the entire Heat roster including their bench shooting like they have been? Their spacing has been crazy because of it.

[ProcessDoctor]

Man we got punked by *Boston* LOL

[eyeatoma]

Good, Tyrese should be psst

Read on Twitter

[76ciology]

I think it come down to leadership. The biggest part of that is a coach you believe in making the right decisions and getting all the players on board and confident in their roles. Doc is a players coach. He overplays vets because he caters to the pecking order the players themselves create. How do you explain the entire Heat roster including their bench shooting like they have been? Their spacing has been crazy because of it.

Easy shot or good quality look to role players is a byproduct of how good your top player(s) performed.

Look at the lens of the Celts in G7, we cant stop Tatum so we send double. This lead to a barrage of 3pters from them.

You can also look at the lens of Celts in G3 against Heat, why is their 3pt shooting not good? Maybe because their top 2 players folded like ours.

Against the Nets, they can’t stop embiid. This lead to a record 3pters against Nets in G1.

Against the Celts in G6, we were able to get a lot of good looks for Melton and Maxey, but we just didnt able to make it. We shot 26% for that game when we shot 40% for the season.

Against the Celts in G7, we were able to get Tucker open looks. He made 11pts. After that Celts mostly just play single coverage to Embiid, just as they played single coverage on Jimmy in G2, but Jimmy was able to make them pay. If Embiid was scoring easily on Al, they’d again send double to generate good looks.

Another thing you have to consider is.. how much better shooters can we upgrade? Upgrade Tobias and Tucker into Bertans and Luke Kennard? Better shooters but they will hurt us in other aspects.

Remember that Jae Crowder talk? Look at how it turned out. Also consider that you can’t just surround embiid with dorian finney smiths, because Embiid has to play with guys who can semi-create on offense, aside from being good shopters and decent defenders.

Heat reg season => playoffs
Strus 35% => 38%
Lowry 34% => 36%
Gabe Vincent 33% => 35%
Love 29% => 35%
Caleb 35% => 40%
Butler 35% => 37%

The biggest difference is Jimmy went from being a 22ppg scorer to 31ppg scorer, and it creates a lot more gravity to open up to these shooters.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheeps will scatter”

There’s no leadership on this team. Why? Because every time we lose, we always just find scape goat. So this “leadership” is not being developed.

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Nobody has praised Embiid’s LEADership. Nobody will die for him like these heat players for Jimmy. So when the going gets tough, everyone is for their own.

[Embiid P]

Embiid has to play with guys who can semi-create on offense, aside from being good shopters and decent defenders.

Assuming that Harden isn't coming back, I honestly think that guy can be Maxey assuming he works hard on his passing/playmaking skills in the offseason.

[Kova]

The Heat are a joy to watch. They tore Celtics soul apart.

When you look at Celtics against us and the Heat, you see a different team. They can't buy a bucket, can't hit a 3 if it was an ocean. You must think, Heat are playing the best defense ever, right? Wrong!

The Heat's offense is what is killing Celtics. Our defense was fine against Celtics, but our offense sucked. Look at Heat on every offensive possession, they are all running and cutting, 1 through 5, getting out of blocks, penetrating with the ball, and everyone is shooting the ball whenever they have a decent shot. Jimmy doesn't care if he shoots 5 or 25 times, as long as other guys are getting good shots.
That kind of offense keeps Celtics on their back heel and is damn tiring. That's why when they are on the offense, they are already exhausted from running after them on D, and their hands are shaky so they are missing shots by a mile.

In our series, they got to rest on D while we were dribbling forever around the center until we passed the ball to Embiid and then they would just attack him while everyone else is just standing around. They would then have a fresh legs for their offense. Simple as that.

[mjkvol]

Mazzulla was the man a week ago, but if they lose on Tuesday I'd be surprised if he's retained.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-heat-boston-coach-joe-mazzulla-admits-disconnect-in-locker-room-after-game-3-loss-to-miami/

[Mik317]

I mean multiple people praised Biids leadership all season but go off

No one is saying he is not at fault but you keep acting like it’s the only reason

[Arsenal]

Mazzulla was the man a week ago, but if they lose on Tuesday I'd be surprised if he's retained.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-heat-boston-coach-joe-mazzulla-admits-disconnect-in-locker-room-after-game-3-loss-to-miami/

This is not good for us because Boston may steal one of our preferred coaching candidates. For that reason I'd like to see them win Game 4 lol.

Although I'd be surprised if they fire him after just giving him a contract a few months ago.

[mjkvol]

Mazzulla was the man a week ago, but if they lose on Tuesday I'd be surprised if he's retained.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-heat-boston-coach-joe-mazzulla-admits-disconnect-in-locker-room-after-game-3-loss-to-miami/

This is not good for us because Boston may steal one of our preferred coaching candidates. For that reason I'd like to see them win Game 4 lol.

Although I'd be surprised if they fire him after just giving him a contract a few months ago.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing, aside from them winning game 4. I want another blowout to complete the sweep.

[Arsenal]

Mazzulla was the man a week ago, but if they lose on Tuesday I'd be surprised if he's retained.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-heat-boston-coach-joe-mazzulla-admits-disconnect-in-locker-room-after-game-3-loss-to-miami/

This is not good for us because Boston may steal one of our preferred coaching candidates. For that reason I'd like to see them win Game 4 lol.

Although I'd be surprised if they fire him after just giving him a contract a few months ago.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing, aside from them winning game 4. I want another blowout to complete the sweep.

Well, they do have a future HOF coach who led them to their last championship available and ready to go! What could be more heartwarming than a Boston - Doc reunion?

[Jailblazers7]

Rewatching game 7 it really is striking how Horford has a bizarre mental chokehold on Embiid. Our guy was just repeatedly frozen in place. And then Harden was literally scared to shoot & could’ve shot his floater whenever he wanted but refused.

It was just a clear & obvious choke job which is why it’s so painful.

[Ferry Avenue]

Who woulda thought mental/emotional factors are important in team sports?

[Bum Adebayo]

Really infuriating listening to them talk about the Heat's undrafted players, and the developmental system, the way they are treated as 'superstars'. It's no mystery why - they identify players who fit what they do, bring them in and develop them to be useful pieces. What a concept.

Heck, even in soccer it works this way most of the time, yeah Manchester City has spent a lot, but so have other top teams, their success in Premier is because how well run they are. Of course Miami has much more Merit because they don't have the same top talent.

[Bum Adebayo]

I mean multiple people praised Biids leadership all season but go off

No one is saying he is not at fault but you keep acting like it’s the only reason

It's easy to not have bad leadership in regular season, in Playoffs players show their true colors.

[Ferry Avenue]

I mean multiple people praised Biids leadership all season but go off

No one is saying he is not at fault but you keep acting like it’s the only reason

It's easy to not have bad leadership in regular season, in Playoffs players show their true colors.

"Adversity doesn't build character -- it reveals it."

[Embiid P]

Mazzulla was the man a week ago, but if they lose on Tuesday I'd be surprised if he's retained.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-heat-boston-coach-joe-mazzulla-admits-disconnect-in-locker-room-after-game-3-loss-to-miami/

This is not good for us because Boston may steal one of our preferred coaching candidates. For that reason I'd like to see them win Game 4 lol.

Although I'd be surprised if they fire him after just giving him a contract a few months ago.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing, aside from them winning game 4. I want another blowout to complete the sweep.

It would be kind of messed up since he is a rookie head coach who just signed an extension as you mentioned but anything is possible I suppose.

[youngcrev]

Mazzulla was the man a week ago, but if they lose on Tuesday I'd be surprised if he's retained.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/celtics-vs-heat-boston-coach-joe-mazzulla-admits-disconnect-in-locker-room-after-game-3-loss-to-miami/

This is not good for us because Boston may steal one of our preferred coaching candidates. For that reason I'd like to see them win Game 4 lol.

Although I'd be surprised if they fire him after just giving him a contract a few months ago.

Feels like an obvious landing spot for Nurse with that roster.